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Among the major themes that run through his work are the importance of revolutions in world history and international relations, the centrality of gender to international and transnational processes, the distinct character of the politics of the Arabian Peninsula, and the importance of culture, including jokes and apparently obscure words, in relations between peoples.

A committed linguist, and advocate of the centrality of language to understanding contemporary globalization, Halliday can work in twelve languages, including Latin, Greek, Catalan, Persian, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Portuguese, Arabic, and English. Since 1965, he has traveled widely in the Middle East, visiting every country from Afghanistan to Morocco, and giving lectures in most. He has met and interviewed several key Islamic fighters, rebels, and religious leaders and politicians over the years.

Current projects

• Shocked and Awed, Dictionary of Words and Phrases Occasioned by 9/11, to be published by I.B.Tauris, 2009.
• Language and Politics in the Middle East, Saqi, 2009; Britain's First Muslims, I.B.Tauris, 2009.
• Introduction to International Relations, Palgrave/Macmillan 2009.